For those who don't want to click the link, here's the deal. The AP wants to charge bloggers for using their content--content that is covered under fair use, mind you. Some of the big dogs have decided to stop using AP stories altogether as a result, and I can understand that. If there's the possibility of a lawsuit and you earn revenue from your site, and there are other places to get the necessary information, then why chance it? If you're as big a dog as Atrios or Firedoglake, then your boycott is likely to have some effect on the AP's traffic (though I have no idea how much). Spread that love around to other news services.

I, however, don't get any financial benefit from this blog, so I think it's hard to make the case that I'm benefiting from the AP's intellectual property. Plus, it's not like I earn much from my real job, so I'm really tempted to raise a big, fat, middle finger to the AP and continue posting as I always do. It's not like the handful of page views they get from my links are worth anything.

But I can promise you this much--I will never pay the AP a penny for any of their precious content.